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Beauty had always seemed straight forward to Yumichika. It was something that was appealing to the eye in shape, form, and color. Those things needed to work together harmoniously to meet a certain standard. His standard. They had to be like him, soft, delicate, and without imperfection. And when certain things achieved that, it pleased him greatly. They put a smile on his face and had butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. He loved the feeling of being surrounded by beautiful things and always sought to be in such a state.
Conversely, something that did not possess those qualities were entirely off putting. Most of the time he could not stand to look at such a thing that would cause him distress. Yet, for some strange reason, Yumichika’s eyes were inexplicably drawn over and over again to the boisterous oddity that was Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
That man broke every convention of modern fashion without fail, yet still managed to somehow get away with it. Over accessorized with gaudy bangles, and face slathered in paint. Things that were meant to beautify were overworked in the hands of that lunatic.
Yumichika struggled with these thoughts. They were as loud and obtrusive as the man himself. He has seen the Captain of the 12th beneath the makeup and absurd headpieces. Thin, lanky, with hollow and haunting eyes. He was truly a ghastly specter. Despite this, Yumichika spent hours fixated on that man and his peculiar aesthetic. He was fascinated by every costume change, taken in by the absurd makeup choices, and as much as it upset him it all seemed to somehow work for that mad man. Frustratingly so. Mayuri simply did as he pleased and Yumichika couldn’t wrap his head around it. Yumi put time, thought, and effort into his appearance. He studied the latest fashion and kept up with the trends. Picking and choosing what to implement into his off day looks. Mayuri abstained from normal convention, he was not bound by it. Freely mixing and throwing together outrageous outfits at a whim with a surprising degree of success. As much as Yumi hated to admit it was something he could not do.
Yumichika could not shake the thoughts of Mayuri from his head. The unsettling feeling of it as if he were being haunted by him. Those calculating, golden eyes that see through everything. They suited him well. Much like the deep blue of his hair, Yumi could not see anyone else pulling it off. The vibrancy was astounding. He was like some poisonous creature that did not care to stand out in its habitat. Brightly colored and unnatural, but all the same, daring you to touch it…
Despite this, Yumichika’s gaze on that dark figure was filled with nothing but disdain. He felt himself being physically affected by the man. His body would stiffen, and a pit would form in his stomach. He hated the feeling. It made him sick. Yet he felt reluctant to pull his eyes away as the man floated down corridors like a ghost.
Dark, wickedly twisted, there was something beautiful about it… about Him…
More than anything it was the way he carried himself. There was something about it. The man’s haughty demeanor, his arrogance, and over confidence in himself all served his unnatural and unexpected beauty well. He held a duality in him of being both dark and flamboyant. As if in competition they both flaunted and preened their extravagant feathers. Paraded around with pomp and circumstance much to the annoyance of everyone else around them. Yumichika projected radiant beauty to offset the darkness of his unrefined counterpart. But it concerned him still, should the two ever be in a room together, the attention is not likely to be focused on himself. Mayuri’s flair managed to overshadow Yumi’s elegance and Yumi could not stand for that to continue. He needed to question the man who has been plaguing his thoughts of late.
Yumi knew he could find that man at his division headquarters. In there he was bathed in the pale glow of the many illuminated monitors. It was that eerie, otherworldly quality that made Yumichika stop in his tracks.
“What is it that you’re doing here? I’m too busy for unnecessary distractions.” Mayuri’s eyes didn’t move from his screens.
“I’ve been thinking about something and have some questions I was hoping you could answer.” There was a slight shake in his voice as Yumichika tried to project across the large room.
“Go ahead. I’ll let you know if it piques my interest.” Mayuri replied nonchalantly, rapidly tapping on his keyboard.
Yumichika braved a few steps forward into the lab of the mad scientist, building his courage up with each step. He could feel his body tense up in the Captain’s presence. Stopping just short of the man at the computer, Yumi cleared his throat. Yet, Mayuri didn’t cease his typing. Yumichika let out a small huff before he began.
“How are you so comfortable looking like that? I-I mean… people stare and not in a good way.” He found himself stammering and speaking barely above a whisper. Yumichika crinkled his nose. He despised how his body’s hesitation presented itself in such an unbecoming way. A show of weakness in front of a superior.
Mayuri had turned his head to look at Yumi for the first time since he had walked in. His painted face was expressionless and unreadable. Yumichika shifted uncomfortably under Mayuri’s inquisitive gaze as the Captain looked him up and down. Yumi had begun unconsciously twiddling his fingers to soothe his anxiety. There was silence for a brief moment that was broken by a dark chuckle.
“Why is that funny?!” Yumichika could feel his face growing red at the embarrassment of being laughed at by this painted clown.
“You seem bothered.” Mayuri appeared amused at this point, taking in the frustration of the man across from him.
“I don’t understand you! You put effort into your appearance, that much is obvious, but I can’t figure out what- THIS- is!” Yumichika motioning to the whole of Mayuri’s person.
“I see no method, no cohesion, just- ” Yumichika paused, unable to find the words to describe how he saw Mayuri. He was at a loss, his polished demeanor slipping.
“Don’t be daft boy! What fun is there in adhering to convention? It’s boring. It’s predictable. Why do that when there’s experimentation to be had? New discoveries to be made! Why be tied down to a societal construct when you can build your own definition from scratch?” Mayuri was gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke, but his eyes never left Yumichika’s.
“If I told you I'm not even trying would that upset you further? Lots of discoveries in both science and fashion are accidental. No effort necessary.” Mayuri paused. He noticed the intense expression on Yumi’s face, and a spark of passion lit behind his golden eyes. This line of questioning had decidedly intrigued him.
Meanwhile, Yumichika felt that pit in his stomach except this time it was different. It wasn’t as sickening. The man was making more sense than Yumi had expected. There was in fact method behind his madness.
Mayuri continued.
“I’ve never been one for following rules. I seek to fulfill only my own desires as they come to me. I find no joy in following guidelines set by others.” His contempt for convention was clear in every word.
Yumichika thought back on his hours poring through fashion magazines for inspiration and blushed. Was that really it? Did he grow this absurd fascination with Mayuri Kurotsuchi from a need for inspiration? Did he analyze his every look to the point where he would consider Mayuri…beautiful? Or was it simply jealousy of Mayuri’s boldness. Yumi could be adventurous at times but knew he wouldn’t have been able to handle the thought of someone considering him ugly. But Mayuri tries and experiment without fear like the mad scientist he is.
Yumichika’s head became crowded with these concerning thoughts as he sorted through these odd feelings, until a hand reached out to pull him back to reality.
That steady pale hand touched the feathers that bordered Yumichika’s eye. His fingertips barely grazing the soft, delicate piece of plumage. Yumi froze in place. He had been too surprised to react to the unexpected tenderness. And if he did, Yumichika wasn’t sure he’d pull away. This man has once again baffled Yumi to speechlessness. That gentle caress stirred a weird but not unwelcome feeling inside of Yumi that replaced that growing anxiety. When had he gotten this close? Too wrapped up in the sudden swell of emotions Yumichika didn’t notice the curiosity that danced across Mayuri’s face nor the small steps he made to close the gap between them.
“I can show you some of the tiny pleasures that come as a result of experimentation if you’d like to.” He brings his finger back to stroke the long feather once again. Yumi’s poor little heart was racing, torn somewhere between fear of the man and intrigue.
“This is a start, but I do believe you could do more…” Mayuri continued.
Yumi swallowed hard.
It might have been a mistake to pique Mayuri’s interest, but Yumichika felt compelled to follow through with this little experiment.